The Sri Lankan government has invited views and suggestions from Sri Lankan citizens living overseas, civil society organizations, and Sri Lankan missions and embassies as part of efforts to establish a mechanism to grant voting rights to Sri Lankans abroad.
According to a public notice issued by a committee appointed with Cabinet approval, written submissions are being sought to develop a formal, transparent and efficient system that would allow Sri Lankan citizens residing overseas to exercise their right to vote.
The committee has been tasked with making recommendations on necessary legal and procedural reforms and is seeking feedback on key areas including voter registration, election campaigning and advertising, voting procedures, and the counting of votes and declaration of results.
The initiative follows a Cabinet decision to appoint a special committee to study and propose amendments to existing laws to enable overseas voting, which is not currently permitted under Sri Lanka’s election laws.
Submissions are requested to be sent to the committee before Feb. 15, 2026. The consultation process involves Sri Lankan missions and embassies abroad, civil society groups, and members of the Sri Lankan diaspora.
The committee said the feedback will be used to formulate recommendations aimed at creating a structured and legally sound framework for overseas voting, as part of broader efforts to strengthen democratic participation. (Newswire)
